Airfare with Cunard?

[elmsliebev]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

The woman on Cunard has it all wrong, just realised as you booked through Cunard Air,  that makes Cunard a Tour operator and as such they have 100% responsibility,  along with airline to get you to Manchester Airport.  Not your or your insurance company's job

Thanks for the very useful advice. There are literally no other flights available on that day. It’s very tricky trying to sort it out when both Cunard and BA won’t help, and even your TA isn’t being helpful. We have sorted an alternative as we didn’t want to arrive in London with no options but we will be taking it further with Cunard once we are home. The letter you’ve provided is especially useful. 

[Windsurfboy]

1 hour ago, elmsliebev said:

Thanks for the very useful advice. There are literally no other flights available on that day. It’s very tricky trying to sort it out when both Cunard and BA won’t help, and even your TA isn’t being helpful. We have sorted an alternative as we didn’t want to arrive in London with no options but we will be taking it further with Cunard once we are home. The letter you’ve provided is especially useful. 

 

Good luck, whatever it costs send the bill to BA. E-mail  BA from shipmremind them of CMA CAA letter and ask for them to put on a car.

[kmerlin14]

This may seem like a silly question, but when and how do you purchase the Cunard Airfare? I can't see how you do it through your booking and I can't see how you do it before you book when I tried to make a dummy booking to see if it was there.  I know I won't be able to book from my hometown, but I was trying to see if Halifax was an option.

[bluemarble]

1 hour ago, kmerlin14 said:

This may seem like a silly question, but when and how do you purchase the Cunard Airfare? I can't see how you do it through your booking and I can't see how you do it before you book when I tried to make a dummy booking to see if it was there.  I know I won't be able to book from my hometown, but I was trying to see if Halifax was an option.

 

Not a silly question at all. Unlike some other lines, I've never found anywhere to purchase or even view Cunard airfare online in North America. Here is a link to the Cunard CompleteAir page from their website.

 

https://www.cunard.com/en-us/the-cunard-experience/cunard-completeair

 

This page essentially directs you to call their regular Cunard customer service number for further information. Now if we have both managed to miss some online functionality to check Cunard airfare in North America, I'll be happy to learn about.

[Victoria2]

10 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

Good luck, whatever it costs send the bill to BA. E-mail  BA from shipmremind them of CMA CAA letter and ask for them to put on a car.

Thank you for helping out.

I was pretty sure there was something in a package arrangement whereby the onus was  on the provider,

 

My agent would have been onto that with lightening speed and made arrangements of some sort for us. 

I say some sort as public travel in the UK  can be a bit hit and miss this summer.

 

Fingers crossed for elmsliebev 's final travel journey.

[godfreyb]

I can confirm that I have never found anything online in the US about arranging air flights.  However, when I called Cunard in response to an upgrade offer on my TA booking, they asked if there was anything else they could do and I asked if they do one-way tickets to our departure location in the Far East.  Yes, they did and booked me at a very good price.

[MCC retired]

Your TA can add your Cunard Choice air easily on their POLAR booking site months in advance .

[elmsliebev]

6 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Thank you for helping out.

I was pretty sure there was something in a package arrangement whereby the onus was  on the provider,

 

My agent would have been onto that with lightening speed and made arrangements of some sort for us. 

I say some sort as public travel in the UK  can be a bit hit and miss this summer.

 

Fingers crossed for elmsliebev 's final travel journey.

Thanks. I’m annoyed that my TA hasn’t been of more help, it has surprised me. I’ll let you know how it went! Last day in Miami today and it seems it is cooler here than London! 

[kmerlin14]

On 8/11/2022 at 9:47 PM, bluemarble said:

 

Not a silly question at all. Unlike some other lines, I've never found anywhere to purchase or even view Cunard airfare online in North America. Here is a link to the Cunard CompleteAir page from their website.

 

https://www.cunard.com/en-us/the-cunard-experience/cunard-completeair

 

This page essentially directs you to call their regular Cunard customer service number for further information. Now if we have both managed to miss some online functionality to check Cunard airfare in North America, I'll be happy to learn about.

Thanks so much. I'll ask my travel agent as we get closer to making our final decisions. Still worried about the cruise we have booked.

[elmsliebev]

For those who don't know, BA cancelled our final domestic flight (LHR-MAN) while we were on QE in July/August. They didn't offer any alternatives and refunded the fare for that leg. I had no luck in getting any help from anywhere (BA, Cunard, TA) so had to sort out our own arrangements whilst on holiday. 

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Windsurfboy for clarifying the airline's obligations to passengers and sight of the CMA-CAA letter. I put in a claim for all our out-of-pocket expenses (taxi to hotel, hotel, dinner, train home) and BA have just notified me that they will be paying in full in the next 48 hours.  Have to say BA haven't quibbled about it and settled it within 2 weeks. 

 

Thanks again WSB!

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome. I've added it to the original thread so that original story and relatively successful outcome are together.

 

[cruzebunny]

I felt relieved at first that we booked air through Cunard 8/11-8/21

we left on American Airlines for London at Heathrow 

getting back was another story

We had British airlines and the policy was no check in for departure nor could we set up seating until 24 hours before 

unfortunately their internet was bad and when I contact the British airlines they told me to book at airport 

well I finally did that at Heathrow but plane had issues and we were late to Chicago for my connection they put us in a hotel for a flight the next day on United but British Airlines did not release the new tickets and I never had the tickets because they didn’t give it to me

called British airways they said everything was fine but when I got to United they told me They never got the tickets and sent

me to American in another terminal soo American worked it out

i called the Cunard travel assistance but he said he could not help

i am finally home as of Tuesday but it did not flow smoothly as I thought 

which is the new travel problems 

I did have a

wonderful trip

[Windsurfboy]

7 hours ago, elmsliebev said:

For those who don't know, BA cancelled our final domestic flight (LHR-MAN) while we were on QE in July/August. They didn't offer any alternatives and refunded the fare for that leg. I had no luck in getting any help from anywhere (BA, Cunard, TA) so had to sort out our own arrangements whilst on holiday. 

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Windsurfboy for clarifying the airline's obligations to passengers and sight of the CMA-CAA letter. I put in a claim for all our out-of-pocket expenses (taxi to hotel, hotel, dinner, train home) and BA have just notified me that they will be paying in full in the next 48 hours.  Have to say BA haven't quibbled about it and settled it within 2 weeks. 

 

Thanks again WSB!

 

 

Glad to be of help. Glad that you got your money back , although BA was derelict in its duty. It was their responsibility to sort everything out for you. 

 

It was fortuitous that I  was up to date with airline responsibilities.  We are finally  going to Australia in a few weeks to see grandchildren, after 3 years of covid desperation.  We booked nearly a year ago before Australia opened up, and got a great bargin £3k each for business. However it's been changed and legs cancelled about 4 times. Airline trying to foist me off with a refund. Luckily I  booked direct with a British / EU airline in this case Lufthansa . So after a bit of quick research into their duty, was able to insist they rebook me at their expense rather than refund, as prices have more than doubled. They even had the temerity to try to say as I'd got such a low price they could only rebook premium economy.  I explained that was not what the law said.  In the end they have had to rebook me on other airlines, ANA and Singapore on my orginal dates.

 

I would advise everyone who is flying in current times to have copy of CAA CMA letter . 

[navybankerteacher]

It’s been a couple of years, but every time we booked one way air JFK-LHR to come back on QM 2, we could not select seats until fare had been paid in full.  Given low interest rates, it made sense to pay early and not wait until final payment date, so we could get early selection for desired seats.

[elmsliebev]

2 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

Glad to be of help. Glad that you got your money back , although BA was derelict in its duty. It was their responsibility to sort everything out for you. 

 

It was fortuitous that I  was up to date with airline responsibilities.  We are finally  going to Australia in a few weeks to see grandchildren, after 3 years of covid desperation.  We booked nearly a year ago before Australia opened up, and got a great bargin £3k each for business. However it's been changed and legs cancelled about 4 times. Airline trying to foist me off with a refund. Luckily I  booked direct with a British / EU airline in this case Lufthansa . So after a bit of quick research into their duty, was able to insist they rebook me at their expense rather than refund, as prices have more than doubled. They even had the temerity to try to say as I'd got such a low price they could only rebook premium economy.  I explained that was not what the law said.  In the end they have had to rebook me on other airlines, ANA and Singapore on my orginal dates.

 

I would advise everyone who is flying in current times to have copy of CAA CMA letter . 

I'm a big fan of Singapore airlines, glad you got sorted and have a wonderful time. 

[Windsurfboy]

 

59 minutes ago, elmsliebev said:

I'm a big fan of Singapore airlines, glad you got sorted and have a wonderful time. 

 

Thanks , at the time of booking Singapore was £2k each more expensive.  Couldn't justify that money just for better service as Lufthansa has flat beds and that's what you go business class for.